


An Early Spring

by SongstressTinyTeacup



Category: Hadestown - Mitchell
Genre: F/M, Fear, Hades would never cheat on Persephone, I had to justify Persephone’s reaction to Eurydice at the end of Act 1, Illness, but he’d make damn sure it might look like it to spur a reaction out of her, this is the start of the wedge between them in my mind, unintentional infidelity
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-07-07
Updated: 2019-07-07
Packaged: 2020-06-24 03:25:16
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,486
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19715284
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SongstressTinyTeacup/pseuds/SongstressTinyTeacup





	An Early Spring

The sound of the end of shift bell echoed throughout the factories of Hadestown, and the sounds of workers ceasing their work for the night made it’s way to Hades’ ears, as he filed the latest contract and snatched his hat from atop the coat rack.

Hades wondered what his beloved Persephone had been up to during his absence as the sound of his footsteps hit against the walls and bounced back into his ears, for he had intended to return to their home for lunch, but an unexpected riot had forced him to remain.

Had she gone to the garden, to tend to the only thing that would grow in Hadestown?

Or to the bar for a glass of wine?

Had she busied herself around their home, as Hades couldn’t be bothered to deal with housekeeping during her six months on top?

When he arrived at the door of their home, Cerberus was on high alert, and one of his heads whined at Hades and scratched at the door.

“What’s the matter? Ya missed your mama as much as I have?” Hades teased with a smirk on his lips as he opened the door and Cerberus took off like a shot inside.

A quick pang of fear slammed against Hades’ heart, the house was too quiet.

The distinctive lack of Persephone’s singing was alarming, she never stopped humming, if not singing, their melody, not while she was up and moving.

Against his better judgement, Hades forced himself to walk up the stairs to their bedroom, but once the king had reached the straight hallway where Cerberus had rushed to, and was now barking at the door frantically, he took off like a shot.

Crashing through their bedroom and not caring for once if the door slammed against the wall and broke off of it’s hinges, Hades knew something wasn’t right.

Looking around the room in a haze for his beloved wife and queen, Hades had to take a second glance to see the pile of blankets covered with Persephone’s fur coat, covering the shape of her body.

Hades made his way to her bedside quickly, pushing back the blankets and fur to reveal his lover, who’s wild and curly hair was plastered against her forehead with sweat, eyes closed, face twisted in misery and body curled into an almost fetal position.

Something was wrong.

Very wrong indeed.

Persephone never spent an entire day in bed, save for when she finally returned to him and they would spend many days in their bed  _together_ , unable to tear themselves apart from each other, factory and foremen be damned.

“Seph?” Hades murmured, taking his fingers to smooth the sweat slicked curls away from his lover’s face, then immediately recoiling.

Her forehead felt like it was on fire, had it felt that way when he kissed her forehead in way of goodbye this morning?

“Lover? _Persephone!_ ” Hades shook her slightly, trying to rouse her, desperate to look into those eyes he loved, the color of liquid amber.

Persephone whined under her breath, trying to curl further into herself.

Hades cursed the gods above, for while Persephone was a Goddess, and had many of her abilities, she was not yet immortal.

That was to happen in the coming summer and until then any manner of illness or affliction could befall her, and these were just as serious as they were to mortals.

His irregular heartbeat quickened at the prospect of losing his lover so quickly, and not too far from where she would become immortal and no other illnesses could harm her.

Persephone could, of course, get sick from being too drunk, with child, and a few other exceptions, but not this ill, and it wouldn’t be dangerous.

Hades bellowed for Hermes to bring the train, and to make it quick, the ceiling rumbled slightly in acknowledgement, and Persephone flinched from the mere volume of her lover.

“Hades..” Persephone’s voice was only a soft whisper, and had Hades not been paying attention he never would have heard this.

“I’m here, lover. I’m here, and we’re gonna get ya well. I promise.” Hades was quick to soothe her, and pushed all of her hair back as he sat her up and went about the task of wrapping her up in a number of blankets, and of course, her fur coat.

He would have to take her back up top.

He had no means for medicine down in Hadestown, for he was immortal and everyone else here was dead.

He could have kicked himself, how could he not have prepared for this possibility?

Demeter would be delighted, and Hades was sure he’d never hear the end of this, but Persephone needed her Mama right then.

Spring would start early this year, only by one week, but it would be six more months and one week longer until his beloved came home again.

Persephone burying her burning head into his neck was a harsh reminder, she would return to him, provided he got her back up top in time.

The train whistle screeched, Hermes had arrived, and Hades wasted no time scooping Persephone in his arms and carrying her to the train, where they boarded and Hades held her close as the train chugged along.

“Not spring yet..” Persephone murmured against his skin, her equally hot breath tickling him, and reminding him of his failure.

He had failed to keep her well.

He had failed to notice she was unwell that morning.

He had failed  _her_.

Hades continued to clutch her closer to him, humming their melody as he supported her weight, and tried to keep the train from jostling her too much.

“I don’t care if it ain’t spring yet, we are gonna get you back to your mama, and we are gonna get you well again. Do you hear me, lover? Everything’s gonna be alright.” Hades tried to keep from raising his voice at her.

Damn it all, she was burning up with fever and the gods only knew what else, and here she was worried about going up top a week early.

“Don’t wanna leave _you_ , lover.” Persephone groaned after a particularly sharp jerk from the train, she had dug her nails into his skin and he relished in that moment of pain and discomfort.

She still had her fighting spirit, and Hades thought briefly as to which god on Olympus he should thank for it, for if Persephone had lost that, he knew he would lose her.

The train whistle blew twice, and Hades tightened his grip on Persephone, not willing to release her until Demeter absolutely demanded it.

“Mama’s here.” Persephone mumbled as the train lurched to a stop, and Hades pressed a feather light kiss to her burning forehead, then her lips as he readjusted her in his arms and made sure her coat would keep her warm before stepping off of the train.

Demeter was next to him in a flash, feeling the heat coming from her daughter’s body and scowling at Hades.

“Would ya like me to yell at ya now, or later?” She hissed, glancing back down at her very weak daughter, who appeared to be slipping in and out of consciousness.

“Don’t fight...” Persephone breathed, voice almost drowned out by the wind whipping around them, then curling back into Hades’ arms, seeking his body heat.

“No, baby. Mama ain’t gon’ fight with that lousy, no good man of yours. Mama’s gonna get you home, and look after you since he ain’t bothered to do it.” Demeter lost the aggression in her tone, but Hades knew her words were laced with it.

Laced with the disgust she had always held for him, and the triumph of getting to say that she had been right.

“Give her to me.” Demeter tried to take Persephone from his arms, to which Hades stepped back, not willing to let her separate them so close to the train.

“No. This is my wife, and I ain’t gonna leave her when she needs me.” Hades hissed.

Demeter sighed, then told him to hurry up before Persephone died from the cold air on top of her current illness.

Upon arriving back at Demeter’s home, Hades followed the Goddess up the stairs and into a bedroom absolutely filled with plant life.

Succulents mostly, Hades noted as Demeter pulled back the blankets on the bed and then went to stoke the fire.

“Put her on the bed.” She had ordered, and Hades had accepted that now was the time he had no other choice but to do as he had been told.

Crossing slowly to the bed, Hades took extra care in placing Persephone down gently, making sure her head was supported by at least three pillows, adjusting the fur around her so that she would remain warm, then stepping back.

Demeter bustled back to the bedside and uncorked a small vial, and tipped the contents into Persephone’s mouth, bidding her daughter to swallow.

Hades breathed a sigh of relief when Persephone had done so, then released a heavy exhale as she succumbed to sleep.

Then, Demeter turned to him, eyes blazing.

“I don’t need to remind you about that fight all those years ago. Do I?” She challenged, and Hades nearly bowed his head.

“No  _m’am_.” He hissed back, emphasizing the word “m’am”, because he knew how much Demeter hated it.

Almost as much as she hated Hades calling her by “mom”, which was technically half true.

A mother in law, but she’d have none of that.

“I won’t have you sitting here looking as pitiful as you do right now. You took her from me, into that wasteland that you _knew_ wasn’t viable for her. You knew she could catch her death down there, and you _still_ ain’t grasped that. Get yourself outside. I’ll call you if there’s any change.” Demeter ordered, and Hades stood.

He wasn’t willing to fight with Demeter in front of Persephone, even if she couldn’t hear them do it.

All she had wanted was for her man and her mama to get along.

And Hades would take the digs, if only for his lover’s sake.

The sight of his lover laying motionless in that bed, her hair plastered around her from her own sweat, her skin just a touch paler than it usually was, was enough to drive Hades mad right then and there.

How could he have missed all of those signs?

“Don’t look at her like that. You knew that she needed the spring and the summer, she can’t handle a life in the winter of your domain.” Demeter scolded, pushing Hades out of her daughter’s room and closing the door behind him.

So, Hades did what he had always done up top when his mind was troubled.

He went to the garden where he had first met Persephone, had held her close and begged her to have pity on his poor heart.

Hades had no clue exactly how long he stood in the midst of the garden, only that it had been long enough for darkness to take over the sky.

The sound of the ice crunching behind him was what made him turn around.

There stood a mortal, who looked extremely determined.

“What do ya want?” He sneered, knowing he hadn’t looked quite like he should have.

“I wanna make a deal, boss man.” The woman purred, advancing toward him a few steps.

“I ain’t makin’ no deals. Get yourself home.” Hades replied quickly and sternly.

How could he focus on deals when his beloved Persephone was in the throes of a serious illness?

“But I wanna make a deal.” The mortal persisted.

Hades could have sent them down to the Underworld the unpleasant way, could have made them scream and beg for him to retract his actions, but he refused to cause any suffering in Demeter’s gardens.

Persephone would never let him do that.

“I said I-“ 

Hades was cut off by the mortal smashing their lips against his, and it took him several moments to recover and pull himself away.

“What are you gonna do about her?” The mortal asked, confusing Hades.

“I ain’t gonna do it. Not here.” Hades spoke aloud to himself, his temper sparking and gnashing violently within him.

“Very well, my King.”

And with that, the mortal stalked away.

When Hades turned around, all of his anger and resentment of mortals was quickly shattered, for before him stood Persephone.

She was barely able to support herself, and was leaning against one of the porch columns, a blanket wrapped around her beneath the fur.

Her eyes swam with tears, tears that ran down the length of her face and neck as she cried in agony for what she had just witnessed.

“Lover, I can explain.” Hades reached out to her, desperate to hold her, to steady her.

“You ain’t explainin’ nothing to me! You bring me here to get better, but you go find yourself a new queen while I lay in bed in  _agony?_ ” Persephone seethed, teeth chattering despite the warm layers surrounding her.

She didn’t need to be outside. Not yet.

“That mortal ain’t gonna be nothin’, lover. I only want _you_. You’re the only one I’ve ever needed. Seph,  _please_...” Hades trailed off, as his own tears threatened to choke him.

“Don’t call me that name! Go home, Hades. I mean it.” Persephone turned, then in a moment of utter betrayal on her body’s behalf, her legs gave out beneath her and she hit the floor.

Hades ran to her, but before he could try and help her up, or take her into his arms to get her back inside she held out her hands to stop him.

“ Don’t touch me.  Just go home.” She demanded, tongue sharper than any dagger or sword, and Hades longed for nothing more than to reach out and dry the tears streaming down her face and throat.

Hades stayed to make sure Persephone was able to stand, and make her way into the house, but could not stomach the sound of her sobs that could be heard over the wind.

As he stalked toward the train, he tried to contain his own tears by thinking of all the ways he would try to bring warmer weather to Hadestown.

He would offer tribute to his beloved Goddess wife, to make his domain hers as well, to make it a place where she would be warm and safe.

After all, he had six months and one week to get it finished, and perhaps by then his lover would realize that he had been set upon by the mortal.

And not the other way round.

The last thought he had before he succumbed to a tearful sleep in their empty bed was one of determination.

He was going to bring spring and summer to Hadestown for Persephone.

He owed her that.


End file.
